At one time it was the largest knitted fabric producer in Europe, and its products had a major influence on the development and prosperity of the Marks & Spencer chain of retail stores.

[4] The company was founded by Nathaniel Corah at the Globe Inn, Silver Street, in Leicester –a building which still survives, and which at that time was closely associated with the city's stockingers.

A site was chosen north of the town centre, in the parish of St Margaret and close to the River Soar.

[16] The St Margaret's Works received many visitors over the years which included international sports teams and members of the Royal Family.

[18] One advantage of this close relationship was that Marks & Spencer could reduce costs by cutting out the middle man, in this case wholesalers.

[19] However, the relationship initially brought with it a considerable danger for Corah: the risk of being blacklisted by the Wholesale Textile Association (WTA).

[22] In the 1970s, the company's trade with Marks & Spencer was worth £20 million per annum – and Corah celebrated the "golden anniversary" of the relationship in 1976.

[23] In the twentieth century, Corah expanded beyond Leicester to open branch factories in Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Oakham and Barrie, Ontario.

[26] The Second World War also had an important effect on Corah – it took away the firm's female workers, which led to a skills shortage once peace had resumed.

A range of light industrial uses occupy most of the southern-most building group, with parts of the monumental factory still used for small scale hosiery manufacturing.

Its iconic nature and it relative openness to casual visitors has meant it has become a favourite of so-called Urban Explorers.

[34] I Further reading Bramwell G Rudd COURTAULDS and the HOSIERY & KNITWEAR INDUSTRY (Carnegie Publishing Ltd) (2014, ISBN softback 978-1-905472-06-2, hardback 978-1-905472-18-5)